Recipe Sifter

Hawaiian venison: sweet-and-sour stir fry with cubed deer steak, green bell peppers, pineapple chunks, and a tangy pineapple-soy sauce. A clever way to cook the deer in the freezer.

Slow cooker beef shanks braised in beer and tomato paste with mushrooms, carrots, red potatoes, and garlic, finished with fresh lemon zest and juice. Set it and forget it for up to 9 hours.

Hearty hamburger soup with ground beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, rice, and tomatoes simmered in a rich broth. Even better the next day.

Cheesy stuffed chicken breasts: pounded chicken cutlets rolled around Monterey Jack and oregano, then coated in a chili-spiced cornmeal crust. Pan-browned, oven-finished, served with guacamole and salsa.

Sour cream rugelach rolled with cinnamon-sugar and chopped nuts. The tangy dough chills into a tender, flaky crescent that rolls easily without tearing.

Bread machine Danish rolls filled with cinnamon, raisins, and sliced almonds. The machine handles the dough, you shape and bake golden, egg-washed spirals.

Velvety mushroom barley soup with a clever trick: half the barley gets pureed with sauteed mushrooms for extra body. Lightened up with skim evaporated milk and a splash of dry vermouth.

Sausage bean chowder: a hearty pantry chowder with browned sausage, kidney beans, tomato, and potato simmered with thyme and bay leaf. One pot, 75 minutes, deeply satisfying.

Creamy Mexican corn soup pureed smooth, seasoned with cumin and green chilies, enriched with melted pepper jack cheese. Served over chicken and tomatoes with crispy fried tortilla squares.

Rice con queso: a layered Mexican-American casserole of brown rice, black beans, ricotta, Monterey Jack, and cheddar with green chilies. A vegetarian pantry dinner that bakes in 30 minutes flat.

Streusel coffee cake with a hidden layer of stretched caramel candy ribbons baked inside and a cinnamon-brown sugar walnut crumble on top. Best served warm.

Potato and bologna scalloped casserole with cubed bologna, sliced potatoes, peas, and a creamy cheddar-soup sauce spiked with sage. A retro pantry casserole for an easy weeknight family dinner.

Pecan tassies with cream cheese pastry shells filled with brown sugar, pecans, and egg. Bite-size pecan pies baked in mini muffin tins until golden and set.

Cinnamon raisin bread for the bread machine with just 10 minutes of hands-on prep. A simple dump-and-go recipe using bread flour, butter, and basic pantry ingredients.

Marillen Knoedel are Austrian apricot dumplings made from potato dough wrapped around whole fresh apricots with a sugar cube center, boiled and served with cinnamon sugar.

Prune bread quick loaf made with soaked dried prunes, baking soda, and a simple egg batter. Dense, moist, and naturally sweet with deep fruit flavor in every slice.